Froggatt Edge, Big Moor and some Stone Circles

Froggatt Edge has been on my list
of places to visit for a good while, and during the Spring Week, it was moved
to quite a high position on my list of places to visit, along with Stanage
Edge, which I visited the previous week (see Stanage Edge on a
sunny Bank Holiday Sunday) and also Axe Edge Moor, which I visited a
couple of years ago, in the snow.

So Froggatt Edge it was.

I also invited Andy H, a fellow walker
who I know from Twitter, @mixedupmessedup along, for he too hadn’t been on
Froggatt Edge or Big Moor.

There was no particular route
planned, it was just get up there, walk Froggatt Edge, Big Moor and visit three
stone circles and a couple of other Bronze Age/Neolithic tumuli.

So I arranged that we meet at the
café by Outside Shop in Calver, then move on to Froggatt Edge from there.

Just digressing for a moment, Outside Shop are moving out of their Calver shop back to the main store in Hathersage.
The Calver shop will become a Spar and the café will continue under new
ownership.

Back to the walk.

From Calver, driving up through Curbar up to Curbar Gap where we
parked up, got booted and suited, then set off up Froggatt Edge.

Froggatt Edge and taking in the first views.....

It was a hot day, with a nice
breeze to take the sting out of the heat.

We climbed up Froggatt Edge on to
the plateau, taking in the views around us across Big Moor, Calver and further
afield, Win Hill, Kinder, Castleton’s Great Ridge and much more.

Incidentally, Big Moor is also
known as Barbrook Moor, though it is shown on the Ordnance Survey maps as Big
Moor.

We headed off in a westerly
direction, for Stoke Flat Stone Circle, passing rock climbers enjoying a
pleasant day out on the crags and also fellow walkers enjoying their day out.

The clearly defined footpath on Froggatt Edge

A modernish field system on Big Moor

"......we spotted a small cave, which Andy just had to investigate......"

Looking up Froggatt Edge

Looking down Froggatt Edge

Rock Climbing on Froggatt Edge

As we walked around the edge, we spotted
a small cave, which Andy just had to investigate. Well, so would I, but he got
there first….

Following the path round, we
started to descend a little, passing the first of many cairns before eventually
reaching a large enclosure.

The enclosure

Not too long after reaching this
enclosure, we would reach the first of four stone circles, Stoke Flat, also
known as Froggatt Edge Stone Circle.

This is a rather small stone
circle, and like many today, time has taken its toll. The one large stone, which
had what could be called an offertory tray dug out on the top, had various
offerings left in by passers by.

While we were having a look
around, we met with another group that had arrived from the opposite direction,
and as all good walkers do, we exchanged friendly chat.

It turned out this particular
stone circle was the favourite of one guy in the small group.

Well, we’re all entitled to our
favourites, mine is the Nine Ladies, on Stanton Moor.

"......one large stone, which had what could be called an offertory tray dug out on the top,had various offerings left in......"

It was time to move on, we have a
lot of ground to cover, so we bid each other farewell and a safe journey then
Andy and I continued along the path towards the gate to the north of the stone
circle.

The gate to the north of Stoke Flat Stone Circle

Looking lovely, the bog ridden White Edge Moor

At this point, we decided to cut
across the moor, heading for White Edge.

Now beware when cutting across
any moor, particularly one where the map shows that grassy symbol, like below, they can be
boggy and dangerous.

The Ordnance Survey marsh/boggy land symbol

My advice, if you’ve the
slightest doubt about crossing the moor safely, then head for the gate and
follow the path around the moor.

We carried on to the field
enclosures to the east of the gate, on Stoke Flat, to continue our trek, or I
should say, bog hoping, to White Edge.

From here, we could see Win Hill
and a few other places along with the Grouse Inn on the A625. Looking through
the binoculars, the pub looked very busy in the beer garden…..

Continuing our bog hoping, we
eventually reached White Edge, where we ascended to meet up with the path that
would cut across us.

Looking over to Win Hill

Looking over to Bamford Moor

Stanage Edge and Higger Tor

Lunch time was fast approaching;
we turned left to head in a north easterly direction to circumnavigate the
northern edge of White Edge Moor, to visit the next stone circle and Barbrook
Reservoir.

As we followed the path, the
breeze had picked up again, but more likely because we had climbed out of a
wind sheltered area, and headed for the stone wall that cut across our path,
near to Hurkling Stone, where we would stop for lunch.

While walking along the path, we
came across some fine masonry handy work, with an inscription on; along with a
web address; www.compaionstones.org.uk. However, this link does not work; I was
merely quoting what was inscribed on the stone.

Now, there is more than one
Hurkling Stone in the Peak District. Along with the one on White Edge Moor, there
is another on Derwent Moor, which I had come across last year, when I wrote Derwent Moor and
those funny shaped stones!. So a little research into what is a
Hurkling Stone was called for.

This was proving to be difficult,
however, I did stumble across the following; Hurkling or Herklin,
means to crouch.

Well, these stones are lying on
their sides…..

The views from this high point
were fabulous, but then so were the previous views just as fabulous.

We could see Win Hill,
Castleton’s Great Ridge, Kinder and Bleaklow, very clearly.

Just past the first set of hills, lies Castleton's Great Ridge, just over to the right

Win Hill and Bamford Moor with Kinder and Bleaklow in the far distance

Bamford Moor and Bleaklow in the distance

Lunch over, we continued along
the path until we reached a gate, where we would continue in a easterly
direction, eventually joining up with the B6054 at Barbrook Bridge on the
northern edge of White Edge Moor.

The gate where we took the easterly path

The B6054 near to Barbrook Bridge

As we followed the path at the
edge of the moor, we came across a small herd of Highland cattle, relaxed,
watching our every move, complete with some calves.

While passing these cattle, we
came upon some wooden holding pens, against the stone wall.

Barbrook Bridge

Cattle Pens

Highland Cattle

Continuing along the path, we
started to move away from the road, as we headed for Barbrook Reservoir and the
second of our stone circles, Barbrook 3.

Unfortunately, we seemed to miss
Lady Cross!

Oh well, next time, we’ll see
it….

As we approached Barbrook
Reservoir, it became very obvious that the dam had been breached at some time
and the reservoir was now decommissioned.

"......Barbrook Reservoir, it became very obvious that the dam had been breached......"

Barbrook Reservoir

Some more research was called
for, when and why?

Many thanks to Andy, who also did
some research and sent me some links to read.

However, it wasn’t too clear when
or why the reservoir was decommissioned, other than a report looking at a
selection of reservoirs in the Severn Trent region and their viability.

“Barbrook Reservoir, Eastern Peak District Moors
(19.05 ha) – disused for water supply for many years, for reservoir safety
legislation compliance, it became necessary to drain and formally ‘discontinue’
the structure to ensure that it could no longer retain significant volumes of
water. English Nature consented to the decommissioning process and agreed on
the level of environmental mitigation required, in particular the establishment
of new habitats that reflected and complemented those on the surrounding moors.
These included wet and dry heath, wetland and open water and the
re-establishment of the original streams. The work was completed in August
2003. Penny Anderson Associates were our key consultants and will be monitoring
and managing the vegetation to ensure the establishment of the habitats”

Anyway, Barbrook 3 stone circle was nearby
and is quite small, though larger in diameter than Stoke Flat, with all the
stones lying down and quite insignificant with the moorland foliage around it.

You could easily walk past and not see it.
However, I’ve a keen eye on tumuli and we managed to pick the stone circle out
among the grass around it.

Barbrook 3 Stone Circle, you could easily walk past it!

After a few minutes at the stone circle, we
back tracked to the reservoir to pick up the path leading past the house, which
was once the pump buildings, and now a residential property.

Walking past the property, there is an access
driveway that crosses the path. We carried on across the drive, continuing in a
southerly direction, heading for another smaller reservoir and eventually our
third and final stone circle.

The access driveway that crossed the path

Looking along the sluice to the breached dam of Barbrook Reservoir

"....and also what looked like some settling tanks, in quite a state of disrepair...."

We could see the old sluice from the dam and
also what looked like some settling tanks, in quite a state of disrepair.
Hardly surprising considering the fact it is open moorland and the reservoir
had been decommissioned in 2003!

Continuing along the path in a southerly
direction, we walked through a gate, continuing along the path, where we met a
lady coming in the opposite direction.

Now I missed a vital part of the conversation
Andy was having with this lady, who had walked from the north of White Edge
Moor, down towards Froggatt Edge and was walking back to her car.

However, she hadn’t a map of the area she was
walking in and asked if either of us had a map!

Yes, we had maps, and also electronic maps…..

I had two maps, one OS the other was printed
on Toughprint waterproof paper while Andy had an OS map and a Harvey’s map. That
is as well as the mapping on our GPS devices…..

Anyway, we managed to confirm the lady’s
route back to her car. We certainly do meet ‘em out and about…..

Continuing along the path, we finally reach
the next, small, reservoir, which was pretty much up to its full level.

Approaching the small reservoir, south of Barbrook Reservoir

"....we stumbled on another Companion Stone...."

After a few minutes walking the dam, we
continued along the path, for the next Stone Circle, where we stumbled on
another Companion Stone, but this one had been vandalised.

Someone, or persons, had pushed the top part
down the hill. However, this one looks like the one from the Companion Stone
web pages, on the following link.

I do like a nice stone circle - but had no idea about all of those! I think perhaps I haven't done enough walking in the White Peak (although I have eaten a lot of cakes in the Outside Café - fancy it closing?)!